Breaking Barriers

Don't Let Stress Ruin your Life

2007-01-07T17:29:00.000-06:00

Stress, worries, problems, and many other things have a way of taking their toll on our lives and how we feel. Many of us do not realize how all of these things strongly affect our health. What you might find interesting is that the symptoms that you can experience from stress are the following:

Excessive fatigue, Depression, Sometimes even think of hurting yourself or others, Headaches, Nausea and vomiting, Diarrhea, Chest pain or pressure, Heart racing, Dizziness or flushing, Tremulousness or restlessness, Hyperventilation or choking sensation, insomnia and high blood pressure.

The good news is that most of these are temporary but if they do continue to become severe then you most certainly need to see a doctor. The best news though is that we can help ourselves by promptly recognizing the symptoms so we can manage the stress and the attitudes we have in order to get better.

In talking with teen girls and teenagers in general, I have never heard so much talk about stress as I have lately and the worst part is that it is affecting the way our teens eat and their weight loss and gain. Teens react much in the same way adults do, they want to either eat more or eat less, they begin to sleep more or avoid sleeping at all and they become very irritable and do not want to face up to the problems they are facing in school. Most of the time we as parents are so caught up in what we are dealing with everyday that we fail to notice when our teens are going through the same things but in their own world.

The best way for all of us to handle these issues and learn to manage stress is to recognize what is happening to us and get in control of our lives and much of this can be done with simple things. One of the best ways to relieve stress is to exercise. It not only lowers your blood pressure but it also releases endorphins which is a natural pain killer for your body. Some of the other simple things are listening to music to unwind, read a book, practice deep breathing, call a friend and go out for a chat and eat lunch. Sometimes the best thing we can do is to recognize that there is a solution to every problem and circumstances change every day even every minute. Don’t give up!

What are some ways that you cope with stress? We could all use the ideas! Blog with us @ www.youthchosen4action.blogspot.com.

Next week; start this year with me by making every minute count and using everything we have.

Signed,Peppermintmocha@chosen4action.com

Choose to Make Things Better

2007-01-07T17:27:00.000-06:00

No matter what has happened in the past, this is the time to reflect and evaluate the past year and then move on. Whatever you didn’t get done, you cannot keep worrying about it, and all you can do is make the decision to move on. We all make wrong decisions at times in our life and we make wrong choices at times but the good news is that it is never too late to correct those mistakes and choices and make it right.

As I close this year 2006 with this article and ready for 2007, I challenge you to do something that will change your life next year. Sometimes we hold on to things that are not right for us and deep down inside we know it is not the best thing for us but we are afraid to let go. Some of us can even get to the point that we keep on doing something just so we don’t have to go through change. But the good news is that on the other side of the wall of change is something new for your life and you wouldn’t want to miss it.

New things and change brings new life but the sad part is that until you let go of the old, there is no room for the new. Why not make 2007 the year that you let the old things go? One of the best ways to start that is to forgive yourself for any wrongdoings you have done and then forgive others. Remember this, forgiving others does not mean that you condone what they did; it only means that you are setting yourself free from it so you won’t miss your blessings.

Choose to make things better for yourself! Find out next week how your lifestyle affects your health.

What are you changing this year? Blog with us @ www.youthchosen4action.blogspot.com.

Signed,Peppermintmocha@chosen4action.com

Looking for Consent or Approval

2006-12-09T16:26:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I received a very sad phone call from a lady who was calling to ask for help with her 16-year old niece who had decided to run away with a 35-year old man with three kids. You might ask yourself as I do many times, “what in the world is she thinking?” Even though it is hard to believe, girls who are looking for acceptance and love and cannot find it in family and friends begin to seek elsewhere and the first one who comes along offering affection, they are gone!

This particular girl unfortunately lives in another country where it is not against the law for her to marry at 16 so therefore her parents cannot do anything about it. When they called to ask me what to do, there is not a lot we can do at this point except pray and continue to love them but the hardest thing is that we must love them without giving consent or blessing to their mistakes. Though the girl didn’t need permission to marry she wanted her mom to give it to her because she felt as though she wouldn’t be happy or that she might even be cursed without her parents’ blessing.

So, teens we love you and we want what is best for you and believe it or not we parents are very forgiving, we would rather have you at home where we can take care of you rather than out there struggling. Know that we would rather forgive you and bring you home and learn from the mistakes than to try and correct one mistake with another one. This particular mom wants her daughter to know she loves her but she cannot be party to something that will potentially ruin her life. I mean come on girls! What are you asking of us here? Consent or approval?

What do you think an older man such as this is going to want with you? I will tell you what; cooking, cleaning, raising his kids and taking care of him. And if he will leave his wife and run off with you then he will do it again. Besides that, of course he will be happy, why shouldn’t he be? He got him a 16 year old girl and she got a 35 year old, duh!

Girls, please remember that you will not find love and acceptance in a man! You must find it in God and yourself. That is the only way otherwise you will forever be beholding to that man and eventually your life will be miserable. Don’t be fooled girls, you want to find someone who will truly love you and cherish you and take care of you not use you for a maid so be careful.

Remember, you are worth so much more, you underestimate who you really are and what you can do, don’t go there! It is not in man or in his pants! Sorry but these articles are meant to be blunt, wake up and smell the French toast, reality sets in very quickly once you live together.

Sound off at the blog and tell me what you think……..is this girl someone you can relate to? Perhaps you need to get out of a dying relationship…..let me hear from you. Blog with us @ www.youthchosen4action.blogspot.com.

Signed,
Peppermintmocha@chosen4action.com

Are Your Teens Practicing Witchcraft?

2006-10-15T20:05:00.000-05:00

Remember that you find all of my articles on www.womantalk.us page when you click on the TEEN CAFE logo on that page.

As we are in the “Halloween season” and conversations revolve around witches, haunted houses, spells and magic, etc. there is an even bigger problem growing behind all of the innocent Halloween hype which is becoming quite popular. Due to many popular TV programs that have aired in the last few years such as; Charmed, Sabrina, The teenage witch, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to name a few there has been a great attraction with teens and magical pursuits. Due to these pursuits, teens are now increasingly turning to looking for religions that offer them a sense of power and authority.

Wicca has become one of the most sought after religions and is one of the fastest growing in America especially among high-school and college age students. It is a form of religion which appeals to those who have a great reverence for nature and the environment and is especially appealing to the teen girls as they seek for identity and a place to belong in this world. Wicca is believed to have three to five million followers here in the US alone with 60% being under the age of 30 and 62% of them being female. Teen girls are seeking out Wicca because it presents the female as the most powerful principal even over the male and because in the above mentioned TV programs, the female is the one performing all of the great and powerful forms of magic.

In this day we are living in, Wicca is beginning to come out of hiding so to speak and many people including Christian denominations are even deeming it acceptable and at best tolerable for teens. Teens believe Wicca to be more tolerant of their behaviors and that it has a stronger diversity.

Find out next week what teens are actually learning in Wicca and what kind of characteristics to look for to see if your own children are involved in this religion. One of the greatest myths with many of these religions is that many people in small towns do not want to believe that it would affect them when the opposite is true. The majority of these types of religion actually look for smaller communities as they are less likely to be found or noticed.

Teens, what do you think? Do you know about Wicca? Are you involved in Wicca? Let me know your thoughts here!
Signed,
Peppermintmocha@chosen4action.com

Barrier Breaking Champions

2006-10-15T19:58:00.000-05:00

All of the articles which are posted on this website are written for TEEN CAFE on the website of Sharon Hughes and Friends @ www.womantalk.us
Rape, abuse, drugs, alcohol, gangs, pregnancy, rejection are just a few issues that young people today are facing in society, school and worst of all at home. Many of these issues are “attention getters” in hopes that someone will sit up and take notice and give them a sense of belonging.

In last week’s article about the 15 million kids who are home alone, I asked for young people who want to be mentored and people who would like to mentor to email me and get involved. Hopefully you heard the program with Sharon and I on the radio program this week regarding kids on my space, and if you haven’t I would encourage you to listen to it. You will hear the raw details about what is happening to our youth and how important it is to mentor them and become involved.

In fact, I am so committed to this mentoring campaign that I am filming a pilot TV program for teens the end of October discussing issues they are facing and encouraging parents as well as teens to watch and identify with some of these same issues. We will be filming Teen Café from the Arcadia Theater in Texas with teen girls from all over the area and the show will be entitled “Breaking Barriers”. The show will later be aired on a youth channel around the globe as we get the message out about what is really happening among our youth.

Role models are needed and as a team we can join to make a difference by sharing a small portion of our time each week. This week we have a survey here on our page asking teens to share with us if they have an active adult role model in their life and if not, would they like to have one and what state or country they are writing from. We want to hear from you.

There are teen girls out there who need to know that they are champions and they can break through these barriers. No matter what these girls are facing, there are answers for them and we want to get the answers to them.

Barrier Breaking Champions will continue building a database identifying teenage girls who are in need of a mentor and pair them up with a mentor who can make a difference in their lives. There is a mentoring gap of 14.2 million young teens between the ages of 10-18 who are in the middle to low risk category which means they are not yet sexually active and are not involved in substance abuse. This means we have a golden opportunity to still make a giant difference in these young lives.

Blog with us at www.youthchosen4action.blogspot.com or email us at the address below. Please, if you are a teen, take our survey here on this page.

Signed,
Peppermint Mocha –
Peppermintmocha@chosen4action.com

15 Million Kids Home Alone

2006-10-07T10:45:00.000-05:00

How many times have you looked at our teen girls out there today and wondered if they had a Mom to go home to and take care of them? Our teenage girls miss out on so much today because of loneliness and companionship and we have many role model adults out there who could help with this ever growing problem. Look at the following facts and see for yourself what is happening in our society:

More than 28 million children today have parents who work outside the home

As many as 15 million kids have no place to go once the school day ends

Girls not only need a place to go but they need guidance on topics about life in general including friendship, love and dating, physical fitness and nutrition as well as sexual diseases such as HIV and STD. Girls need to be involved in group discussions about all of the above.

Role models – They need to have an adult such as a school faculty member, a Mom, a grandmother, retired ladies, etc. who can communicate with them at least an hour each week.

The next step is to get these teen girls involved in a community service including clothing drives, race for the cure for cancer, reading to children, etc.

We need to be upfront and discuss with them about abstinence from drugs, alcohol and premarital sex. We want to find role model students to help them see that they need to say “no” to this risk behavior and make positive choices.

Finally, they need to be involved in Cultural enrichment activities which would include theater and dance performances, concerts and other shows around the area.

I am sure you are saying yes this is true and I see the need as well but what am I to do about it? Well, I would like to offer you ladies out there the opportunity to make a difference in a girls’ life today.

Help me kick off with our very own mentoring forum where Teen Café presents Barrier Breaking Champions by building a database identifying teenage girls who are in need of a mentor and pair them up with a mentor who can make a difference in their lives.

As I begin to facilitate this forum I would like to see us build it by identifying teenage girls in our community who are in deep need of a loving and caring mentor to be there for them and communicate with them and a mentor willing to do this. So teens I need your help, please email me if you would like to have a mentor that would be there for you. Potential mentors, email me if you would like to adopt a teenage girl and take part in this forum. Studies show that 96% of mentors would recommend mentoring to others.

Remember, this is a team effort and together we can make a difference. I look forward to hearing from you.

Signed,

Peppermint Mocha –
Peppermintmocha@chosen4action.com

You can find all of these articles and more where I am a regular contributor/writer @ www.womantalk.us
You will find them there on the TEEN CAFE page.

Hey Mom! I want a Tattoo!

2006-09-26T19:34:00.000-05:00

It is amazing the topics you hear while just enjoying a cup of gourmet coffee in an espresso bar, you should try it sometime! This week I actually had the privilege of having an open discussion with a young guy (will refer to him as “risk taker”) who frequents our café, and we talked about the whole “tattoo” issue. The key word here is “open” discussion, which is important for teens as well as us parents. According to “USA Today” people between the ages of 18 and 50, one in four are tattooed. It is also said that nearly half of all 18- to 29-year-olds have either a tattoo or a piercing.

Parents, as with every generation, we have our feelings and beliefs and environment in which we grew up in which influences how we feel and think about things, and teens today have theirs. Would we get better results by discussing “issues” before we decide that we are right all the time?

“Risk Taker” has actually had his tattoo for almost two weeks now and even though he lives at home, his Mom still does not know that he finally got one. What! A tattoo! And, Mom doesn’t know yet? But Mom, here is the deal, he really didn’t want to keep it from you but he is afraid to tell you because he knows you will get mad as you have very strong beliefs and he doesn’t want to hurt your feelings. “Risk Taker” says that he and his parents have a very open relationship but they cannot talk about “tattoos” because his Mom is dead set against it. The tattoo is actually a replica of his grandfather’s World War II patch from where he fought in that war. “Risk Taker” collects WW II memorabilia and wanted the tattoo because he was very close to his grandfather who has now passed away.

So, what do you think? Is this one of those battles that we could include on our ‘picking and choosing what is actually worth fighting over’ list? “Risk Taker” tells me that this has absolutely nothing to do with rebellion only the fact that he loves his grandfather. I know every situation is different but “Risk Taker” doesn’t believe this will affect his future as he is planning to work in graphic arts, photography and music. However, “Risk Taker” did tell me that it could be very addicting, even though it hurt an awful lot when they were putting the tattoo on his forearm. He said he felt very free as though he finally got to do something without worrying about everyone else’s feelings and thoughts.

While his Mom still doesn’t know about his tattoo and that is something he must face, we all face “issues” with our teens in this difficult-to-accept-much-of-what-is-happening world we live in today. Some teenagers ask their parents for permission to get a tattoo, and some are going and getting them anyway. Some are asking about body piercing while others are just having that done without asking. Are they trying to talk to us about these issues but are being ignored? Do we need to push the door of communication open a little wider? Good communication is key to a good relationship with our teens.

I would also like to ask our teens to give us parents the benefit of the doubt. Let’s get a mocha or a frappuccino and talk about what is going on in each of our lives. Educate us and help us understand why you feel the way you do and how can we come to a mutual agreement. You know, at least we should agree to disagree and keep the lines of communication open.

So, what if “Risk Taker” was your teenager? How would you react? What is the next step? Drop me an email with your thoughts.

Signed,
Peppermint Mocha –
Peppermintmocha@chosen4action.com

PS - By the way, thanks to all of you who participated in our poll last week and for making our page one of your top reads for the week. Perhaps this will help all of us to be aware that we are responsible for keeping our teens safe!

Do you know where they REALLY are?

2006-09-15T23:45:00.000-05:00

As I was drinking my mocha this morning I was thinking about how often I hear teenagers sitting around discussing all the things they have done or things they were supposed to do.

We as parents drop our teenagers at an event and then later we call their cell phones or we text them to see how it is going, we get the standard response, “everything is great”. Later we go to pick them up right where we dropped them off and we do the “normal” thing by asking them how it was, did they enjoy it and we get the “typical” response, “Oh, it was good.” Most of the time we do not even realize that we are getting the limited details – I mean, come on! - We are talking about teenagers here!! We always get limited details!

I would like to hear from the teenagers out there, I would like them to participate in our poll found on this page: Do you often find yourself NOT telling your parents where you have really been or what you have really been doing?

I wonder how many teenagers tell us as parents where they really were or do they just conveniently not tell us because that way they do not feel like they are lying. Sometimes we get a partial truth which is enough to distort the truth.

How many of us adults really know what the word “deceit” means and have we taught it to our kids? Deceit means to lead into error, misleading or causing one to believe that which is false. Do our teenagers know that deceit is just as wrong as lying?

Parents, I am not advocating that all teenagers do this but for their own safety, how much information do we get before and after our teenagers go out. Why are we afraid to get details? Are we afraid that we will discover things that we didn’t know or are we afraid that they might get angry because we want to know so much? One thing I have learned as a parent, asking for the details from my teenagers does not mean that I don’t trust them, it means I care enough that I want to know where they are and what they are doing at all times because it is my responsibility to protect them.

Our part is to pay the bills, provide for them and we are the ones who are supposed to protect them from the outside world and warn them of the dangers of life. I also like to think of it this way, when we get old, they are the ones who will be running this country therefore it is our responsibility to mentor our teenagers and train them to be honest and loyal.

Teenagers please take our poll on the following website: www.womantalk.us

Parents write and let me know how you think together we can raise up responsible, honest and trustworthy teenagers.

Next week: “Hey Mom! I want a Tattoo!”
Signed,
Peppermint Mocha

peppermintmocha@chosen4action.com

Are they using their cell phones to text their friends or a clinic for a “MAP” (morning after pill)?

2006-09-04T10:37:00.000-05:00

As I walked in the teen café this morning I could hear the buzz all around the room about the “MAP” (morning after pill). Not only is everyone talking about it but text messages are keeping the cell phones vibrating about the way the doctors are dealing with it in the United Kingdom. They now have a pilot program for teen girls to text the health care clinic to ask questions about the pill and to get counseling. They feel that this is a way to at least get the girls to come in and talk about it and get the right information before making a big mistake.

The good news is that it is not for the girls to text and actually be given the pill but to get them to come in for an appointment. According to the BBC News Network, the pilot program will start in December and last for one year only. Girls, how do you feel about this? Do you think having clinics that teens can visit without their parents knowing is a good thing?

The buzz of course is all of the different views and what you think the pill is really for. Some are saying it can be used as a contraceptive, but is this accurate? There is a huge discussion concerning the time that lapses after taking it and does it really prevent you from becoming pregnant or is it actually killing the embryo and killing the baby. Wouldn’t this depend on how long you wait to take the pill after conception? It is believed that you can wait up to six weeks to actually take the pill. Does that make a difference now in how you view the “MAP”? The truth is that the same amount of hormones used in the “MAP” is used in oral contraceptives so could we be looking at a whole new way people view contraceptives.

Sound off with your views and opinions by emailing me or posting your comments here!

Signed,
Peppermint Mocha

Peppermintmocha@chosen4action.com

What does your favorite coffee drink say about you?

2006-09-04T10:31:00.000-05:00

Moms with teenagers are always looking for places to hang out with their kids and a place where all of them can enjoy being together. The excitement for me is that because teenagers today are hanging out in coffee shops as much if not more than we do means we have finally found a mutual hangout!

My favorite coffee drink is peppermint mocha and I like it because it has chocolate, after all, what is mocha without chocolate, right? The peppermint gives it a mint flavor with the sweet so it is like having a great peppermint patty. What does that say about me? It means I can be sweet and loving but to the point and clean at the same time. The whipped cream on top definitely sets the drink off and I like to think of it as smoothing out all of my rough edges.

As you are thinking of your favorite coffee drink, think about why it is your favorite and what it says about you. This is our new café hangout and the best part will be you showing up with your favorite drink and joining us in a chat.

I would like to invite you to send me an email naming your favorite drink and how it describes you then, sign off with your favorite drink name. Coffee buddies love to sit and chat and discuss issues which we want to do here each week. We all have issues and in your email please tell me what issues you would like to talk about in our café.

As a grand opening special we have a gift for you, the first five teens who write me with the above requested info will receive a treat to go with your coffee!

Signed,
Peppermint Mocha

peppermintmocha@chosen4action.com

Final Comments on Prayer and upcoming schedule!

2006-07-24T18:54:00.000-05:00

Prayer - Part 2

2006-07-24T18:44:00.000-05:00

Are there actions to your prayer?

2006-07-24T17:51:00.000-05:00

Publishing with Technorati

2006-07-20T19:40:00.000-05:00

Hey guys, am still looking for some youth out there who want to be mentored, have now published with Technorati so you can easily find this blog!Technorati Profile

Looking for youth ready to be mentored

2006-07-18T19:35:00.000-05:00

My husband, Paul and myself, Wynelle absolutely love working with young people. We have been working with youth all over the world now for the last three years and I have been working and doing youth conferences for the last 15 years.

Every young person has a purpose and a destiny, I don't care what you have done or what you have been doing, you need to know that you definitely have a purpose and a destiny!

God is looking for young people who know they are chosen 4 action and ready to go to work.

My husband and I have started our own Christian Virtual School in East Texas and a life skills mentoring and training entrepreneurial center. We have availablility in this school for students who want to study from their home as well.

We are also looking for students who want to be trained in leadership as we are going to start training online for that and will then have conferences every quarter to bring everyone together. We then want to place you in ministry or help you find a place where you can put your skills to work doing that what you love to do. Check out our ministry @ www.chosen4action.com

You need to know that it is the young person that gets out of the boat like Peter and decides that he will not be the one left behind like the other twelve. It doesn't matter if you are the only one out of the boat, what matters is that you take a step and get out because you want to be different, you do not want to be ordinary, that is what counts.

I want to hear from you on this blog, what is in your heart? What is it that you love to do, God is looking for people like you and so are we so we can help you. This blog is here for you young people and I want to hear from you. I am challenging you right now, start posting your thoughts and let us know how we can help you no matter how old you are and where you have been, it is never too late!

So, go ahead, Post..........
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